The current products offered by the portable power generation industry are deficient in meeting customer needs. For example, current portable generator sets are limited to single voltages at a designed output frequency, that is, the generator sets operate at fixed revolutions per minute (rpms) which is limiting the usefulness of current portable power generation systems. To handle the needs of customers that operate in a global environment, portable generator sets are either reconfigured after purchase, or multiple portable generator sets are purchased that operate with different respective frequencies and voltages. Portable power generation systems are needed to resolve these issues and more readily meet the needs of customers.
Moreover, the portable power generation industry continues to strive to meet customer demands for products that are light in weight, small in size (including footprint dimensions) and fuel efficient. For example, a conventional generator set (gen set) comprises a longitudinal or length-wise dimension of approximately sixty inches without a heat exchanger and weighs approximately 2,000 pounds.
Furthermore, the portable power generation industry continues to strive to meet the needs of customers that use generators and generator sets as auxiliary power units (APUs). For example, improvements are needed for auxiliary power units used in the trucking business such as the tractor trailer and/or long haul trucking industry. As environmental concerns result in more stringent noise and air emission regulations, truck operators are continually being prevented from operating their engines in more areas, for example, truck stops, loading docks and rest areas due to emission regulations and no-idle laws. This translates into the truck operator being prevented from operating modern conveniences such as an on-board air conditioner, refrigerator, radio and/or television. It also translates into the truck operator not being able to perform business tasks that are work-related which require an on-board computer. Portable power generation systems are needed as solutions to resolve these issues and respond to market and regulatory pressures in the trucking industry. Additionally, the portable power generation industry continues to strive to meet the demands of truck drivers for APUs that ensure that parasitic loads of a truck engine are maintained at a minimum.
Still further, the transportation industry continues to strive to produce fuel efficient and environmentally-friendly vehicles. This motivation as led to alternative power generation designs and technologies for the vehicles, such as electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles. These vehicular designs have unique power applications and demands wherein a power plant provides battery charging, power for peak load requirements, absorption of braking energy and power for prime loads. Important design considerations and parameters for the power plants are size and weight because such parameters drive the load and physical size of the vehicle. An additional design consideration should be reflected in a customer's need for systems capable of withstanding exposure of rain, dust or other external environmental conditions. A need exists for power generation systems designed to meet the unique considerations and parameters of electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles.
Additionally, conventional motor-generator systems or generator sets are used to transform power and/or isolate power from one source to another. The application typically involves the coupling of an AC motor which is coupled with an AC or DC radial gap generator to create DC power or a different voltage & frequency of AC power. There is a continual need to optimize the size, weight and cost of conventional motor-generator systems. This is especially true for military applications, for example the Navy branch and any industry dealing with boating, which require high tolerance parameters and specifications with regard to cooling, weight and space requirements for power generation. Thermodynamic management in these applications have proven difficult and very expensive. Accordingly, there is a need to provide a motor-generator system or set that resolves these problems of the conventional motor-generator systems.